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Public Schools Branch needs to listen to what they’ve heard from Islanders on school closures: Myers

Posted|March 27, 2017

Georgetown – The
Board of Directors of the Public Schools Branch need to listen and act on what
they clearly heard from Islanders during public consultations on the MacLauchlan
government’s school closure plan, says Opposition Education Critic Steven
Myers.
“The
message from Islanders during public consultations has been clear. The
MacLauchlan government has failed to convince the public that the school
closures they recommend will improve the quality of learning for Island
students. In light of that I fully expect the Public Schools Branch to listen to
Islanders and recommend no school closures proceed,” says Georgtown-St. Peters
MLA and Opposition Education Critic Steven Myers.
The
Public Schools Branch has held public consultations from January to March on its
proposed recommendations for school change that include the closure of five
schools across the province and rezoning of students for other schools. The
virtually unanimous response from dozens of presenters at multiple public
consultation meetings were opposed to the recommendations based on inaccurate
background information, incomplete analysis and flawed process among many other
practical considerations about costs and the impact on student achievement and
on community development.
“There
are overcrowding issues at some urban schools that need to be addressed to
improve the quality of learning for those students but closing other schools
won’t fix that. That can be done through rezoning measures that this government
has failed to consider or act on for the last ten years,” says
Myers.
A
Special Meeting of the Public Schools Branch Board of Directors will be held on
Monday, April 3rd, at Bluefied High School to make decisions on recommended
school changes and closures.

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